


Pain and Love

by MischiefHowl



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Blood and Torture, Gen, Kissing, M/M, Rating May Change, i can't grimdark without it becoming sad, rating just to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16031708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischiefHowl/pseuds/MischiefHowl
Summary: Bruce accepted the torture over agreeing and lying to what the madman wanted from him. The madman that he once cared about.. the madman that used and fooled them all, right?Gift for Milk (brotherfuckersanonymous) for the Batjokes Gotham Exchange





	Pain and Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for the Batjokes Gotham Exchange. I tried my best at grimdark and torture.  
> Hope this is partly what you wanted, Milk. I kind of had to mini-rush the end since school keeps taking up what little time I had.

The cry of pain was what brought the sane man back into some reality, he had seemed to have lost himself in the blade. His gloved hands were a bit warm thanks to the blood that freshly coated them, shielding his fingers from the crime he was doing.

Bruce had been here with him for what Jeremiah supposed was over an hour about to hit the second hour. Jeremiah was unsure though as his eyes took in the ripped clothing that the knife had easily sliced through to get to the soft skin underneath. He'd noticed fairly early that Bruce had bruises and injuries from a recent fight or fights. Probably on the path of looking for him.

"You found me." It wasn't meant to sound mocking yet it came out as so and he didn't bother to correct himself. "Was it worth it?"

Bruce was silent, dark eyes shown only hatred. Did the boy hate him really? Of course he denied it. Bruce was his friend- why couldn't he understand that Jeremiah was doing this all for him? Did this all for him. "It is funny how you hate me so much when days ago you looked at me with a kind expression. How you treated me like I was such a facinating person.. to the point where I'd have probably gladly faced my brother if it meant protecting you" Jeremiah didn't know if the last part was a lie. He could mock the dead all he wanted and let his twin rot and have the damn crows feast on his corpse for all he cared but inside he had feared Jerome so much. A coward. 

"You pretended all this time that you were good. That you were different and nothing like Jerome." The younger, though voice was hoarse was still powerful and ready to fight Jeremiah if only he could get out of the damn bonds that tied his wrists so tight he swore they were cutting into his skin the more he moved. "You used us all."

Dark eyes bore into him- if looks could kill. Jeremiah couldn't help but bring his now crimson stained purple glove to tough over the other's face, gripping and forcing him to look at him when the boy dared try to look away. "Destiny has a role for you. You will be the beacon of hope for Gotham.."

"Ra's al Ghul is a liar-"

"Shhh." His index finger lightly ran over Bruce's cheek, leaving such a lovely red smear of red on the pale flesh. Beautiful. "He shown me things, Bruce. The future." Jeremiah learned from the immortal man of what would become of Bruce, what his and Jeremiah's fate would be. It was a tad tragic really but destiny is not meant to be nice now is it? With Bruce's guard focused on the older, the sudden stab against his side was what brought the other's grin back as Bruce did everything not to scream.

"Every stab, every cut, you may think I'm ending you. I learned many things while underground. Did you know I could stab you quite a few times and you won't bleed out to death? Still it'll hurt like you are." The blade was pulled out and he let go of Bruce's face to allow the boy to gasp and suck in air so to keep the pain at bay. "I wish you'd just accept your role. The quicker you accept it and mean it the quicker I'll let you go home. Can't really head to the hospital since it's deserted now I assume.. did you say goodbye to your little bitch of a mangy cat?" 

There it was, Bruce's rage. The boy ripped one of the bonds and barely missed grabbing Jeremiah, still his arm stretched, blood dripping from his wrists. He was cursing and screaming at him while the older turned a deaf ear to him and focused on the torn up wrist. Hurting him was the last thing he wanted and yet he loved it.. deep inside he was enjoying this. Seeing the blood of Bruce Wayne- his Bruce Wayne. No one but his. Not Ra's, not Selina's, not Gordon's, not even that damned butler... Wayne was his. Is this how his twin felt with Bruce? In his own sadistic and psychotic way did his brother feel the same? Could he call this twisted feeling love? He wanted to laugh at his stupidity. This wasn't love. This was an obsession. But did Jerome destroy the city for Bruce, did he kill for Bruce? Jeremiah doubted. "I wonder, do you still believe that Jerome's gas turned me rabid?"

Bruce was bleeding. Jeremiah said he wouldn't bleed out but he was sure when given enough time he will.. just painfully slow. Would it be better that way he wondered? Would dying and proving that Ra's was wrong somehow bring Jeremiah back from what his brother did to him? "No" He lied. "I think you were the rabid monster that destroyed what little hope Jerome had. Jerome could have been a good person despite how he was. He could have been someone great but you took that away from him. You lied about him, did you lie about everything-" Bruce saw the hilt coming but didn't have enough time to brace himself for the near impossible force that hit him across the face and knocking him and the chair he was tied to over. He swore if Jeremiah his the tiniest bit harder than Bruce would have been dead from either his neck breaking or his skull fracturing and destroying his brain. It at least struck a nerve.

"That was a lie. You should know I can tell when you're lying." His voice was again detached. "Jerome was the mad dog in my fucked up family. I saw it, saw what he could be. He tried to kill me.. to him it was fun and games, to me it was life and death. I warned everyone. He deserved to be treated like a time bomb, it was their own fault that they kept pushing the timer." Unnatural near white eyes glared coldly down at Bruce, how he wished this was someone else. He'd have gladly slammed his foot down on their head and delight in hearing the skull crack underneath the skin. Slowly he lowered himself, no point in helping Bruce up right now. His angry features melted into a soft expression. "You don't feel that way, liar."

Dark eyes look elsewhere, the pain in his head was so much that he thought he'd black out. The agonizing pain didn't face as he wished it would and he was almost scared to move his jaw out of fear that Jeremiah indeed broke it in his sudden attack. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, to yell at the man-- monster above him. Finally he made himself speak through the pain and protest. "Jeremiah died with his brother. You are just pretending to be him. You are a monster and I will kill you"

A smile crept upon red lips. Good they were getting somewhere. "He may have. Or he may have died in the Graveyard and you could have saved him with just the right choice of words. If I am not Jeremiah or Jerome than who do you think I am?"

Bruce had confirmation with the way his jaw moved and felt. It was at least cracked or dislocated. His speech had been slurred when he talked and Jeremiah could stab him through a lung and he would still think talking with a possible broken jaw his worse.. he didn't dare want to prove that theory though. Jeremiah had blood on him before he came.. on his shoulder most. He remembered their last fight and Oswald had shot him. Either he stitched it and it ripped open or the more unlikely idea that Jeremiah didn't do anything and let it be.. if that was true he'd have died from blood loss by now. A sharp poke against his ribs made his mind come back to the now. Jeremiah wanted an answer, did he know that it hurt Bruce so much to talk? Course the bastard did? "Some joke. You played your joke on all of us"

"Joke." The madman thought it over while he sliced open Bruce's black shirt much to the younger's protests and struggles that earned some more cuts from an uncaring knife wielding madman. "Joke." He repeated, taking in the other boy's body. Bruces and some scars shown on him from previous battle or training. "You are such a beauitul creature Bruce."  
Than the agony came. And the possible broken jaw quickly was forgotten as Bruce screamed so loud that he swore half of Gotham heard it.

Jeremiah carved into his skin deeply, cutting nerves and muscle. It was so painful yet so careful. It felt like days before Jeremiah was done with his masterpiece that was carved deep into the other's body that no amount of cosmetics or surgeries could ever really hide it. The mark would be there til the day Bruce died. There, just above his waist was a bloody ' **J** ' on his otherwise pale skin. Fingers touch around it, causing a sob. "You are mine always. As I am always yours. You will remember this for the good times we had and will have."

"Please Jeremiah" Finally Bruce whispered, sobbing. He hated himself for crying, hated himself more than he could of the insane male that made him break. "Please."

Jeremiah watched the sobbing boy, seeing just that.. a boy that hid behind a strong man. The mark was good, perfect even. "I'd ask you to do the same to me but you'd try to kill me if I did" So Jeremiah began to remove his coat and undo his suit. Bruce would see his body, the first person besides Ecco to see it.

Underneath his skin he was just as pale white as his face. But it brought out the scars more. "You called me a liar. My twin did such things for fun.. The cake knife was used every year. One _little _scar on my birthday." There were ten scars all over his body if one counted, all looked like they were slashed at. "Jerome made a game out of it. When I least expected it and he didn't care where.. I had guessed he sharpened it since it cut so easily through fabric. Happy Birthday Brother~" He used Jerome's raspy voice at the last part in a mocking and near cruel tone. Ten scars among other scars either from Jerome or their _dear_ mother. "This will be the only scar that I may like."__

__And he did a horrific thing. The knife that still had Bruce's blood dripping off it was stabbed into him, above his waist but on the opposite side of Bruce's. He didn't so much as blink as he cut through his body, watching the blood come as he made the grotesque mark on his white skin. **B**. "For Bruce. J for.. me" Their scars would match. Jeremiah was grinning down at the other. "You will be the knight that will always try to save me."_ _

__"I'll kill you." Bruce whispered. "I swear that I will kill you. I will never think of saving you. If I'm the knight than you're the dragon who I will cut the head off of." He swore that if he got out and had Jeremiah in his hands, he'd strangle him--_ _

__The knife came again and Bruce braced himself but instead of finding him, the now stained steel sliced the bonds. He looked up at Jeremiah in shock as the other handed him the bloody knife. It was sticky from the blood of their own. Jeremiah stood there, waiting. He thought back to the stage with the bomb collars around their neck. Jerome placed the knife in Jeremiah's trembling hand and the twin had tried to kill Jerome but failed and gained a beating from it along with a twisted version of how Jerome loved him while kicking him. The pained expression on the twin on the floor, the desperate expression on trying not to cry out or beg him to stop. Eyes look up at the other who waited.  
I'm nothing like Jerome._ _

__No you're just like him. Bruce slowly found he had strength to push himself to his trembling feet, vision was blurring. He blamed the loss of blood and not the tears that he no longer realized came down his face._ _

__He rushed Jeremiah._ _

__Jeremiah allowed the knife to bite his skin but his hand grabbed the wrist and held it in a vice so no matter how hard Bruce struggled, the knife didn't go any further in nor out.  
And there Bruce kissed Jeremiah, bloody lips tasting each other. Eyes closed as the grip loosened on the knife and dropped to the floor forgotten. Their hands gripped at each other's body. _ _

__It was what they should've done before all this._ _

__Bruce blamed the blood loss once again to doing something foolish._ _

__Jeremiah called it _love_. Unrequited, one time love that will never again happen in their lifetime. _ _

__For a moment, Bruce saw in his head what Jeremiah saw._ _

___On the rooftop where a purple clothed man stood grinning up at a dark figure that Bruce believed resembled a bat. For a moment he saw their destiny.. and it wasn't love. It made him kiss Jeremiah deeper, hands touched a messing up the dark green hair of his **enemy**_. _ _

__Their blood mingling on their tongues as the darkness of night seemed to close around them.. and the knife plunged into Bruce once again.. he felt it but there was no pain as the foreign sharp object slipped easily through skin, muscle, and he was sure it punctured something because suddenly he couldn't breathe any longer despite him trying to gasp for air that was there but wasn't filling his lungs._ _

__\---_ _

__Bruce would wake in a hospital bed, IVs stuck in him and some staff keeping an eye on him. He still felt the kiss before he felt the pain that no pain killer can stop without actually killing him. He wanted to think that kiss was a hallucination and that the blood that still was tasted in his mouth was his own and not of another._ _

__He could do it. He knew he could save Jeremiah. Somehow, someway he will save him. Whatever he'd done it was Jerome's insanity gas. It wasn't him. Never him. Bruce thought it was easier to hate the once ginger engineer, easier to convince himself that that timid man was the mask and what he saw now was real. Yet the thought felt like a lie and left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I can save him." He mumbles to himself, forgetting for a moment where he was. The beeping from his heart monitor, the IV drip, everything grew silent. "I can save him."_ _

__Maybe Jeremiah was right, maybe he cannot control his dark side. It won't stop him from trying though._ _

__Of course he would be told that they found him at the entrance of the hospital and at first didn't know who he was due to how he looked until they cleaned off the blood and dirt. They asked him what happened and he told them the truth. Jeremiah Valeska was alive, injured by the looks of it, but alive and tortured him because he didn't agree to something. Simple and truth. Would he agree to the madman's insane dreams now? Could he?_ _

__Bruce wasn't sure._ _


End file.
